


Around the Calendar

by Ludella



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Gen, Ja'far centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-21
Updated: 2014-07-21
Packaged: 2018-02-09 19:09:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1994496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ludella/pseuds/Ludella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Birthday surprises were predictable when you worked as much as Ja'far. You woke up, everyone was working, trying to clear your schedule for you so you had the chance to relax for a day... it was terrifying. And, after a few years, infuriating.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Around the Calendar

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for the wonderful ash (jafaar) on tumblr! Happy birthday, sorry it's late, but I'm glad you had a good one. Here's to more to come!

Despite the island’s small mass, Sindria had a succulent population of a good few hundred thousand citizens. In that, a little more over five thousand lived near the palace. Half of those citizens had work at the palace and surrounding. A nice hundred dealt with the king himself on a daily basis. And finally, within that hundred, were the eight final generals that were constantly at his side or doing the most important work.

This was efficiency, Ja’far imagined, and why Sindria had been able to prosper for as long as it had. The sense of community, the one-ness that came with living in Sindria (and moreso working at the top to protect it) brought no greater pride and sense of fulfillment to him. It’d been a long road, this one… but things were paying off.

At least in the long run.

On a day to day basis, he just _wished_ things were as simple. Taking care of the king, taking care of his attendees, watching over guests, attending to the archives, keeping watch over everyone’s posts, manning the scrolls, reassuring paperwork before the king’s desk… it was no easy work. Necessary, yes, tedious, definitely, but nothing he couldn’t handle. In fact, he was quite sure that nobody else _could_ handle it besides him.

By the time he had gotten used to working, it was all that he could do. Ja’far personally cut down his own days off to make sure everything was tended to as meticulously as only _he_ could do, going over every letter, every hall, and every person with a fine tooth comb. He could only trust himself with such dire, important work! Nobody else _understood_ how necessary it was, simply mocking him for all the wrinkles he’d be earning in his youth for worrying so incessantly.

If that was the case, he may as well have just sprouted the entire crow’s _nest_ upon waking to pure sunlight in his eyes and not the crack of dawn.

Immediately Ja’far sprang from his bed, hurriedly throwing his clothes on crookedly and grabbing the work he’d brought to his room last night to rush down the hall. What time was it, even?! By gods, this seemed like the hour that he would wake Sinbad! Had somebody else woken him yet? He hadn’t even put on his own shoes--he hadn’t tended to the morning schedules of the guards’ posts! No, he could make up for this! This would all be fine, if he just skipped through his meals and worked quickly he could catch up in no time! Just by running this quickly he’d made it to his office twice as fast as usual and--

“Surprise!”

He froze.

That dumb grin standing in the middle of the room…

“Happy birthday, Ja’far! Look, I got up earlier than you and finished all of your morning work! The others helped out too!”

That dumb king standing before his desk, waving around a scroll like it was nothing…

“Everybody’s gathered in the dining hall to celebrate, and we’ll have a feast later tonight! You don’t have to worry about a thing today, I’ve already distributed advised schedules to every--”

“Sinbad.”

...was the same every year.

The king’s smile immediately faltered at the harsh tone Ja’far addressed him with. “Sinbad…” He was approaching him now, bare feet padding against the tile as he marched his way over to where Sinbad stood seemingly frozen. With one quick move, the scroll was out of his hand, only to be shoved right back in his face like a teacher waving their finger. “I _like_ working. I _love_ working. Every day of every month of every year--I always love doing my job.”

“Heh… and that’s what’s so great about you, Ja’far! You’re definitely the backbone of Sindria itself, maybe even the mother--”

“ _Sinbad_!”

“Right, going to revise everyone’s schedules juuust the way they were before, no biggie!”

Sighing, Ja’far sat himself in his seat, removing the headdress resting askew on his head to hold his forehead. “And?”

“And… the meals are canceled!”

He appeared more tired than anything, hunched over his desk just rubbing his temples. Every year… one would think Sinbad would learn that this never worked out no matter how many years passed, and yet here they were. Just as usual. Ja’far could hear Sinbad stepping closer tentatively, unsure of what to do now.

“Sinbad.”

“Yes…?” By this point, he was sure Sinbad had finally recalled the previous years’ events and was realizing his mistakes. All too late, of course. Just like usual, Ja’far would list off the things that needed modifying to get the palace back in order. The thing was that, well, he never went past schedules and meals. His concern was justified in waiting for the adviser to answer.

“Bring me my shoes.”

“You’ll just throw them at me…”

“Oh, so you _can_ think,” he mocked, sitting up just to slouch on the back of his chair. “Then I suggest you move even faster if you can deduce any further.”

With a small apology, Sinbad scattered, fluttering out of the room at an amazing pace he’d only seen on the battlefield. Ja’far drew another long sigh, covering his face in pure exhaustion. Why was it the one day that was supposed to be all for him was always the most stressful? If only it could proceed as normal… why, if everyone just did their work, that’d be quite the gift right there!

“Ja’far…?” came a quiet voice from the doorway. Spreading his fingers, he peeked through to see the other seven generals crowding at the entrance with Yamuraiha in front, all concerned.

...right, it was his birthday, wasn’t it. Ja’far couldn’t help a small smile from rising to his face.

“I’m willing to change someone’s schedule and give them the job of rubbing out these _knots_ in my back the king gave me.”

Hinahoho immediately jumped forward, barging into the room while cracking his knuckles. “Leave it to me, Ja’far!”

“Hinahoho, I really don’t think--”

“Aw shut up, Spartos, you’re busy anyways!”

“I wasn’t going to volunteer, Pisti! But maybe someone like Yamuraiha--”

“What, it’s the man’s birthday! He doesn’t need those wrinkly old, disgusting old, wicked old--”

“ _Say ‘old’ one more time, Sharrkan_! **"**

The best day he could have was just one like any other. He’d give an ordinary day in Sindria over special treatment any day--there was too much work to be done.


End file.
